


When the stars were enough

by Pandigital



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dysfunctional Family, F/F, F/M, Family Issues, Headaches & Migraines, Headcanon, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Multi, Polyamory, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2018-03-23
Packaged: 2018-10-29 07:51:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10849653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pandigital/pseuds/Pandigital
Summary: Michael and Gabi were as different as anti-matter and star dust. It didn't stop them from being family though.





	1. Live everyday like the cops have no idea.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story about finding family and finally letting go of the past to move on. The relationships here are Cutsom!Male Ryder/Reyes Vidal, Jaal Ama Darav/Custom!Female Ryder/Vetra Nyx, Gil/Kallo, Suvi/Peebee, and I gave Cora her own love interest OC. The titles of this will be based on the "A softer world" mini comics(or whtever they are) and the ones I like the most.

SAM knows that he is an AI, and that he is not human. He understand that he feels only what the twins feel, see and hear everything around them to ensure they survive. He has access to their memories, their emotions. He can know anything wrong with them in an instant. From what he has come to understand, humans shy away from pain inflicted on them. 

But they do not stop the pain they cause themselves. 

The twins had come together, but only Michael Ryder had entered the new world. His sister had fallen prey to circumstances beyond their control and now she was in a coma. Her sleep, as far as he could tell, was nothing but memories and dreams of pleasant times. 

Michael liked to replay the things he had done  _ wrong,  _ but mostly he liked to relive the memory of his sister getting hurt back in the Milky Way when they had been young. SAM knows from the memory that is was his fault the car lost control and flipped and that the scar on his sister's face is his doing. SAM has informed his host that his sister rarely thinks about that time. Michael likes to remind him that she took the blame for the car and got the scar on her face instead of her leg like he did and their father had never forgiven her for making their mother weep. 

“Michael,” SAM says as Michael lies in the dark, not sleeping when he should be, “what would your sister say if she saw you now?” 

He smirks, “Going back to the emo stage? I thought that died out in the year 2000.” 

“I think that Gabriella would tell you to rest.” SAM said. If he had a face it would be pinched in irritation at the tone Michael had used. But he only had his face. 

“Gabi ain’t here,” he says, “she’s sleeping cause I was woken up first when it shoulda been her. She was born first, not me. Why the _ fuck _ did they do it backwards?” 

SAM thinks for a moment and tries to think of something to say, “I have found that humans sleep when they are calm. What did you do to become calm?” 

Michael picks at his fingers as he looks at the ceiling, “Gabi would tell me stories. Or...her version of them anyway.” 

“She would speak about space.” SAM says. Her memories are clouds of space and voices and deep feelings that have been muted with sleep. SAM likes to linger in the dreams. 

Michael rolls until he lies on his side and curls up, “She was an artist, ya know? She painted and drew and danced. Not well, but she danced. When dad said he was shipping me out with him she got scared. Said she’s coming along too. I wish she had stayed back home.” 

SAM is quiet for a few moments, trying to find the thing to say to make Michael  _ sleep  _ before he is killed in battle from sleep _ loss _ , “She remembers...a thing you told her once.” 

“My older sister humored me a lot.” he sighs. 

“She told you to live your life as though the cops don’t know you did something wrong. She took what you told her before the accident and made it into a joke. You never had a come back for that. Why?” 

“Dunno.” 

“Why was she always saying that to you? I am curious.” 

“She was a paranoid schizophrenic, that’s why.” Michael snaps at him. 

SAM knows that Gabriella Ryder was indeed a woman who had schizophrenia but his records from Alec Ryder showed no signs of paranoia. Then again, Alec Ryder seemed to have played “favorites” with his children, and Michael was the one he prefered, “I think that she told you that so you would be a little more cautious in your actions and you never had a come back because she was your restraint.” 

Michael closed his eyes, “Shut up, SAM.” 

Sleep came shortly after. 

******************

When the message comes that she is awake, Michael is in the middle of a fight. The snow of Voeld falls around the party and SAM holds his tongue. As Jaal and Vetra cover Michael, SAM sends a message to the med bay. The doctor replies back that she awoke a few hours ago and for now she is nodding off. Humans are not really awake from a coma for at least three days. The brain must remember and reset. Vetra and Jaal make sure the kett bodies are dead while Michael collect data on them, SAM tells him and Michael momentarily stops and then keeps going. That night on the ship, in their cabin, SAM asks him why he was not more excited to be given the news about his sister. 

“She’s not awake yet. The email said so and we are on another  _ planet,  _ I can’t just go see her right now, SAM.” 

“The doctor said that she is awake,” SAM tells him, “but that your visit will be short since her body will try to make her sleep off the rest of the coma she was placed in.” 

“Was 600 years of sleep not enough?” he snaps. 

“You sound like Mr. Vidal.” 

Michael scowls down at the SAM node on his desk, “I’ll see her when I see her.” 

“Very well. I can’t force you to see your only living family left.” 

“No, you can’t.” he says as he falls into bed. 

SAM sends out an email to all the crew, letting them know about the news. The next morning Michael is stunned that everyone asks about Gabriella. 

“So,” Cora says as she passes food around the breakfast table, “are you going to see your sister when we get back?” 

Jaal smiles at him, “I must be a relief to know she is alright after what happened.” 

Michael looks down at his black cup of coffee, “I’m glad she’s OK. And the doctor said she would be sleeping anyway.” 

“Well,” Lexi sighs, “comas are a long game. But she would be so happy to see you!” 

Drack eats with both arms on the table, “It’s good to see family when they first wake up. Gives ‘em hope.” 

“Amen.” Liam says around a bite of toast. 

Michael takes a long drag of his coffee, “I’m sure she will be.” 

Gil narrows his eyes at him, “You don’t sound too happy about it.” 

Michael glares at him, “Sorry. I just woke up. Is my mood a little too sour for you?” 

“Chill, man,” Peebee says, “we just want to know if your sister is going to be doing fine or not. Sorry for asking.” 

“Sorry won’t  _ fix _ her.” he hisses and storms out. 

***************

Jaal looks around the table, “She is...unwell?” 

Lexi sighs, “In a sense. She is fine on the physical level. Mentally, according to the file I read before the accident, she is...she should have been one of the last woken up. But Michael fought for her right to be awake first and his father begrudgingly signed on as well.” 

“I’m guessing you can’t say how unstable,” Vetra said, “because of the rules of medicine.” 

“Correct. All I will say on the subject is that he should go see her. She might be lonely.” 

Jaal nods his head, “Lonely is not something one should be when they have so many people who are happy to see them.” 

Liam smirks, “Yeah. Hell, she’s the sister who’s been gone for a vacation and just got back. Jaal, my man, me and you can go see her when we land. Pick up some flowers and surprise her.” 

“Yes. She is  _ tavetaan  _ to us.” 

Peebee smiled wide, “Hell yeah she is! Whatever that word is.” 

“It means family.” Cora said, “It means that we’ve never meet her, but she is the blood relative of Michael. Michael we trust, and she can’t any worse than him.” 

“HA!” Vetra laughed, “Michael is about as bad as humans can be. And that’s saying something. Considering.”  

“I resemble that comment,” Gil said in good humor, “I am the worst.” 

“I second that.” Liam said as he took a drink of his juice. 

***********

Jaal can see  _ how  _ Michael and Gabrielle are twins. The same face, the same high cheekbones, and the same shade of black “hair” growing from their head. But Michael is pale, like Cora, and Gabrielle is a dark tan color. Liam explains how, in humans, skin color is funny when two parents of different races have children. Michael has never made it a secret that his mother was “Native American” and that his father was “white” (how a color could be a race, Jaal did not understand) and so he looked different from his peers growing up. Liam explained that because their mother was darker, the skin color could have done anything. It just happened to go to the older Ryder twin instead of her younger brother. He holds the flowers in his arms and Liam calls out to her. She looks up from her padd and smiles at them. It is the smile of politeness, not one of seeing old friends. Now that he looks at her, he can see some strands of her “hair” are faded in color. Silver almost. He wants to ask but will save it for later. Maybe ask Lexi when he gets back. 

“Gabe “the babe” Ryder!” Liam calls out to her, “Awake at last, awake at last. Thank God almighty, she is awake at last.” 

“Thanks for the warm greeting,” she says in a deadpan voice, “but who the hell are you two? And what are you?”  

Jaal hands her the flowers, “I am an Angaran from Aya. You may call me Jaal Ama Darva. This is Liam, and we work with your brother. The flowers are for you.” 

She looks down at the flowers she has placed in her lap and then back them, “I take it he wasn’t too happy to hear the news.” 

Liam shakes his head, makes his body a focus point of calm, “He did. He got called away on some Pathfinder BS he couldn’t get out of.” 

“You,” she chuckled, “are a bad liar. My brother is just like my father. Never one to come see you in hospital.” 

“He came to see you.” Jaal says. 

“To ease his own mind. But thank you for the visit and the flowers. Now, please leave.”

************

SAM is surprised when Jaal asks to speak to him privately in the armory. Vetra pretends to be on a call, since she and Michael had gotten into it about her sister only an hour before and the ship is not big enough to avoid each other like how they want. Michael has locked himself in his room and Vetra in the armory. Jaal seems to be trying to think of how to word his question and Vetra keeps glancing at him sideways. SAM knows for a fact that Vetra and Jaal have been...seeing each other on their time off, and SAM wonders if she will jump in once his question is out in the open.   
Finally—after a good ten minutes of pacing and muttering to himself in his native tongue—he asks it, “Why is Michael angry at his sister?” 

Vetra laughs a this and Jaal gives her a look that she waves away to go back to typing out her “report” on her terminal. SAM thinks for a moment before he answers, “You have a large family, there is always someone there to be a buffer between two of you when you are in disagreement. The Ryder family in comparison is small. There has never been a buffer between them, thus they ignore each other when they think they have been slighted by their sibling.” 

“What could she have done to make him so angry?” Jaal asks.

“Michael Ryder,” Vetra says from the corner where the terminal is located, “is a man of cold logic and numbers. He sees the big picture and the way to get to that end goal we all have. But he isn’t a people person. He isn’t like you and me, or even Cora. His sister has always been the one to give him that...emotional push.” 

“Cora told you this is confidence, Ms. Nyx.” SAM says, “But she is right. Gabriella Ryder has always been the older and more tuned in to the emotional state of others around her. Michael has not.” 

Jaal sits down with a sigh on the desk near Vetra, “Lexi and Ryder have said she is ill. I saw her, Vetra, she is fine.” 

“Not mentally.” Verta told as she turned in her seat and place a hand on his knee, “She’s sick in a way that no one can help her. Except maybe SAM, but even he can’t  _ fix  _ the way her brain was born.” 

“I do not understand.” 

SAM clears his throat, “According to NIMH—”

“Who is Nimh?” Jaal asks and Verta shakes her head. 

“It’s not a name, big guy. It’s an acronym. It stands for the National Institute of Mental Health It’s a human center back on Earth in the Milky Way that specialized in human disorders of the brain.” 

“I see. Please continue, SAM.” 

“According to NIMH, schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. People with schizophrenia may seem like they have lost touch with reality. Although schizophrenia is not as common as other mental disorders, the symptoms can be very disabling.”

“Michael has this as well?” 

“No.” Verta snorts, “He’s just an asshole sometimes.” 

“I see.” 

“Gabi on the other hand,” SAM says softly, “has been getting help since she was six or seven years of age. At 29 she is —as the saying goes—an old hat at her disorder and trying to maintain it. But Michael is most likely avoiding her out of feelings of guilt rather than feelings of being hurt.” 

“He missed her.” Jaal says softly and holds the clawed hand on his knee softly, “He missed and her and he thinks he failed her.” 

“Because he woke up her with him and that near miss with the scourge put her in a coma.” Vetra said and then slammed her other hand on the desk, “That son a bitch. SAM...does she blame him? Even if she never says it, does she feel it?” 

“No. She mostly feels...sad. With brief moments of extreme happiness and fear. The fear is...the fear makes me loose sense of my logic. It is hard to help her when the fear takes over.” 

“Fear from what?” Jaal asks. 

“Whatever it is her mind  _ makes  _ her see.” SAM answers. 

**************************

“Your sister is a nice lady.” Reyes—or rather his hologram say with crossed arms—says as Michael paces in front of it, “I sent her an email and she was very quick to respond.” 

“Oh god.” Michael says and flops onto the bed, “What did she say?” 

“We made small talk about how you helped Kadra Port and how you pull me up from the slums to the be the shadow king and how you let me—”

“Focus.” 

“Anyway, once I told her we were dating her email to me was priceless. I smiled the whole day after reading it.” 

“Reyes, I swear to whatever power is out—”

“Breath, my little star lord, I will tell you.” he says and grabs something from where the hologram project can’t see. He comes back with a padd and opens it and smiles as he reads, “To: Reyes Vidal. From: Sleeping Beauty. Reyes, I’m glad he found someone and that you are just as barbed tongue as he is. I like talking to you, you are a nice guy with a bad rep and I respect that. But let me make this very clear, I will destroy you if you break his heart. If you don’t believe me you can ask my brother about Drack. Come visit soon, Gabi.” 

“Kesh,” Michael sighs, “She met Kesh and Drack and of course she is now like the little sister and  _ other  _ grandkid they never had. Great!” 

“Who is Drack?” 

“A krogan.” 

Reyes smirks, “He must be bigger than me then. Makes me wonder why you don’t sleep with him instead.” 

Michael throws a pillow at the hologram and it hits SAM node on the desk. SAM lets out a mocking “ow” and Reyes apologizes for not having a body to block the pillow, “We should go visit. I know you said you were coming back to Kadra Port for your friend PeeBee, pick me up and she can meet me in person.” 

Michael sits up in bed and looks down at his hands, “You might not...like her?” 

“Because she’s crazy?” Reyes scoffs, “She told me. My...my father was like her. He had a hard time with everything but he loved me. He used to call me his little star lord. Now I call you that.” 

“And you called her sleeping beauty?” 

“She didn’t mind. She told me that wasn’t pretty at all so she was very flattered.” 

Michael shakes his head, “Fine. When we get there I’ll pick you up.” 

“And before we leave?” Reyes says with a flirting smirk.

“Whatever you can manage before we leave.” 

“Oh...my little star lord,” Reyes chuckles, “never say that to the devil. He might take you for all you’re worth.” 

“Promises, promises.” Michael laughs, “I’ll see you soon.” 

**********************

Gabi jerks awake because she can  _ feel  _ something sitting on her bed. Her back is turned to whatever is sitting on the bed, and the dim light of apartment room doesn’t help. She is still holding her padd and she has the urge to call her brother and talk to him. The thing on the bed can’t touch her if Michael is speaking to her and can see over her shoulder for her. She can’t move. Her whole body is frozen in fear and she feels the thing lean over her and watch her in the dim light. She is shaking and she can almost see whatever it is but she won’t look. 

She won’t. Suddenly she  _ feels  _ SAM move in her head. 

“Gabi.” he says softly in her head, “Are you awake?” 

“Yes.” she whimpers out, “SAM...is there someone there? In my room?”

“Scanning. Negative. You are alone.” 

“Promise?” 

“Yes. If you would like, I can stay awake with you until the terror has passed.” 

“Please.” 

“Your brother is coming back soon, and he is bringing Mr. Vidal with him so the two of you can meet. Jaal and Vetra would also like to take you out to lunch.” 

“Oh yeah? Can a Turian and an Angaran even eat human food?” she wonders and curls tighter on the bed. The thing leans down closer.

“Unknown. But the Nexus does cater to all tastes.” 

“Oh, that’s good.” she says and shiver when the thing runs its nails down her arms, over her hips and to her ankle where to grips it tightly. She tugs her ankle away curls even  _ more  _ tightly into herself. 

“Whale songs have been shown to help humans sleep. Would you like me to play some for you?” SAM asks her softly. She gives a shaky laugh and says yes. The whales songs fill her head and she slams her eyes shut. She hopes that she can sleep now. She would love to  _ finally  _ sleep. Damn her insomnia and her schizophrenia. Her life will be better in Andromeda. IT WILL BE BETTER. 

“Things will be better here.” she whimpers. 

SAM softly tells her, “Gabi, live your life as though the cops don’t know you did something wrong.” 

She does laugh at this and the fear slowly curls away from her heart.


	2. Do unto others; they deserve it.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens. But only by a little bit.

Kallo Jath has to move Gil every morning to get up and ready to fly the ship. Except when they are back on the Nexus. Then he sleeps curled under and around Gil to leech his human heat. Which is why when he feels Gil start to move _out_ of the bed, he cling tighter. He is warm and he is sore in the best ways and he is not letting go of him until Kallo has slept another hour or two at most.

“Kallo, mate,” Gil says and gently tries to pry him away, “I love you, but a man needs to be able to take a piss without an audience.”

“No.”

“Kallo,” he sighs, “I’ll be right back.”

“Fine.” Kallo says with a pout and tries to soak in the heat from the dent Gil left in the bed. It’s not the same. When Gil comes back his hands are damp and Kallo smacks them away until he is once more under and around him. Gil holds him close.

“I hear that Michael is finally pulling his head outta his ass and going to visit his sister.”

Kallo chuckles into his shoulder, “She lives in the apartments set aside for the Pathfinder, or she did anyway. Requested a smaller one and moved out. Michael strong armed her back into the old one.”

“He better be careful,” Gil says and plants a kiss on the top of Kallos head, “She is the _older_ twin and she might not like him trying to play _dad_ with her life.”

“They only recently lost their father, Gil.” he says softly.

Gil nods his head and runs his hand along the boney back of his lover, “That’s my point. She knows he died to save her twin and now her twin is trying to act like a dad. She is either going to tell him to stop or just cut him out of her life with no warning.”

Kallo sits up at this and hooks his legs over Gil hips and kisses him. Gil holds his hips down and grinds up. Kallo smirks into his mouth, “Not our problem. Jill is.”

“Jill wants a baby.”

“She can get in line then. I have you, not her.”

“Oh, how sweet,” Gil laughs, “you think you own me.”

Kallo licks a spot on his neck, “The hickey I left agrees with me.”

“Then I own you too.”

Kallo kisses down his chest, “Good.”

********************

She is sitting on a bench near the docking bay when they come out of the airlock. Cora jogs to a man waiting and kisses him deep. The Turian blushes like a schoolgirl as she drags him towards the apartments. Gil and Kallo tell her hello and then leave, ship business and then they can sleep. Peebee and Suvi make a beeline for the tech labs. Lexi and Drack head over to the bar. Jaal and Vetra greet her and Jaal hugs her.

Vetra shakes her head. Gabi is good natured enough about it.

“Sorry. We are the crew your brother takes with him.” Vetra tells her.

“I figured.” Gabi says with a chuckle, “I meet this guy before. Nice to meet you again.”

“You as well. Are you feeling better?”

“More awake, at least. And you two? SAM said you wanted to go to lunch?”

“Yes. Ms. Nyx and I would like you to enjoy an afternoon with us, if you can.”

Gabi blinks slowly and then looks at Vetra, “Nyx?”

“Yes.”

“N-Y-X?”

Vetra frowns, “...Yes?”  

“Are you related to a woman named Sid?”

Vetra slaps her own face, “Oh for the love of—what did she do?”

Gabi laughs at this. Jaal thinks she has a nice laugh, like Vetra. Smoky and tired but full of mirth. She still has the silver streaks in her hair, and as she wipes away a tear from her eye, she clears her throat, “Wow. You sound like me when Mikey and I were younger. She didn’t do anything. She’s just very…. _here.”_

“Yeah, she is a _handful_.” Vetra mutteres.

“I like her. The world would be a lot nicer to live in with people like her at the helm instead of people like that dick-noodle Tann and holier-than-thou Addison.”

Jaal agrees but instead turns her attention back to their request, “So, would you like to have lunch with us?”

“Sure. But raincheck. Michael is letting me meet his boyfriend and we are all going out to eat.” Gabi says with a smile. Vetra thinks she has a nice smile for a human. Too tired to be fake, too full to be anything less than genuine with them.

“Sure, shoot one of us an email.” Vetra says and with that the go on their way.

When she sees her brother for the first time since they dumped her in cryo, she is not expecting the man that strides toward her. He has scars now, and his eyes are hard and cold. He has grown out his hair but shaved the sides off and his earrings are silver instead of black. He still has thick and silky black hair like her and the same color eyes. He hugs her so tightly she can feel her bones creak. His biotics are singing inside of him as he hides his face in her neck. She hugs him back as tightly as she can, which is like an ant hugging a korgan.

The man behind her brother is _not_ a man she has ever seen before. He kisses her hand and his skin is only a little darker than her own. His pretty green eyes twinkle with mischief and his smile is a liar's smile. Short black hair and shaved on the sides too. She wants to make a joke but stops herself. The voices in her head remind her that this man is an exile, a pirate. So this is Reyes Vidal.

The Charlatan of Kadara Port.

She closes her eyes, and tells them to shut up. She smiles at him instead, “Nice to meet you. Finally. I’m sure my brother has told you all about me.”

He holds out his arm to be taken, smiling at her all the while, and she does, slowly. He walks them—arm in arm like a couple —even stepped and sure footed to the tram, “Your brother is such a tight lipped man. But never in the bedroom, that’s the only place he never shuts up!”

“Reyes.” her brother sighs on the other side of her.

“He will not tell me a thing about you! But now I see why. A pretty woman like you? Only a truly honorable man would leave you be. And sadly for your brother, I am not an honorable man.”

Gabi laughs at this as the doors to the tram close and they go zooming away to OPERATIONS. She tugs her arm away and makes windshield wiper motions with it, “You are a horrible liar!”

“He really isn’t.” Michael says with a frown and then points to Reyes, “Don’t even think about it, Vidal. You won’t make it back to Kadara Port if you do.”

“A brother defending his sister's honor?” Reyes mocked gasped, “This needs to be put into historic record!”

Gabi sat down and watched them bicker. Reyes won with a kiss on the cheek and a wink at her. She knew Reyes wouldn’t touch her. He loved her brother too much to let his eyes wander. Well, she was being too fair. Everyone let their eyes wander and their thoughts. But Reyes would never act on them. When they got to OPERATIONS, her brother left them to go and talk to a reporter who was documenting his story. Reyes and her stood near the tram.

“Do you want to get out of here?”

The question throws her for a loop, “Like...ditch my brother?”

Reyes chuckles and leans with folded arms on the wall behind him, “Like, leave the Nexus and come with me to Kadara Port.”

“You think my brother would ever give up his power over me? I can’t leave the Nexus, I have a note on my record that says he has to agree to my leaving before I can. Some stupid power of attorney thing that got transferred when dad died.”

“You assume I plan to just walk you to the nearest shuttle and travel with you?” he chuckles and shakes his head, “No, no, no. Your brother will take you to Kadara Port, and when we get there, he can’t make you _leave._ Kadara Port is not under Nexus rule, it’s under mine. And I would let you stay.”

She raises an eyebrow, “And how do you plan to get around the POA he has?”

He smiles like sin, “It’s a new galaxy, the old rules don’t apply. And they especially don’t apply on Kadara. Once you get there, his POA means nothing.”

“And how are you going to smuggle me on my brothers own wart ship?” she chuckles and copies his stance. Reyes smirks at her.

“Vetra. The Smuggler Queen herself. Your brother has smuggled things for her on the ship, knowing full well that they are on the ship manifest, and the weight is added before takeoff. Vetra can mark it down as a new shipment of needed supplies and your brother will take you _all_ the way there.”

Gabi chews her lower lip, “What would I do? I can draw well, and dance terrible. Not skills needed when making a colony from nothing.”

“I need a person to vent to. Someone who can be my tether from wild pursuits. You are tanner than Michael, and smaller, but your eyes—those big old balls of accusing love he wears—are the same shade of brown. I won’t be tempted to stray with his eyes watching me.”

She shakes her head, “You’re crazy.”

“Thank you. The best people are.”

“The best people are what?” Michael asks as he makes his way down the steps and toward where they are leaning by the tram. Reyes pushes away from the wall and kisses him quickly.

“The best people are crazy.”

“Gabi isn’t—”

“I was talking about myself.” Reyes cuts him off.

***************

“She’s a good kid.” Drack says as he waves for another drink, “It makes them think they can walk all over her.”

“Drack,” Lexi sighs, “Kesh is almost as big as you and twice as stubborn to boot. Addison and Tann can no more walk over than they can go around her in a narrow hallway. Her people respect her and Ryder is trying his damndest to get the Krogan on our side.”

“His sister would have a better shot.” Drack snorts and downs his drink in one go, “She doesn’t give off that _tone_ when talking to a krogan.”

“Tone?”

“Yeah. Tone.”

Lexi rubs at her head, “Drack, can you blame Ryder for being the way he is? He was a marine and N7 before we left. Some things are more habit than intention.”

“Which is why his sister would do a better job. She has no ill will toward krogan cause she ain’t never seen us at our worst or best. She’s just seen us. Morda might be willing to listen to a sick woman than a former N7 turned Pathfinder.”

“Sick? Oh.” Lexi runs her fingernail on the rim of her glass, “Can...can krogan tell that about others at a glance?”

“Naw. But sick people like her? Really sick people, they don’t got a mean bone in ‘em. That is something you can see at a glance. Besides, Kesh and I knew a sick woman like her once. She wasn’t like how all the vids say. She was mostly sad and tired and some days we’d get down right scared she’d ended it, cause we hadn’t seen her in so long. She didn’t take good care of herself, but damn did she adore my _Ru’shan_.”

Lexi smiles at this and then frowns as a thought enters her head, “I think that she has tried to be placed on a ship to a colony, but Michael keeps denying her request. I heard him muttering to himself about it. From her records, I do not see why she can’t have any control over her actions without approval. If I was her doctor I could grant her request because she has proven to be of sound mind.”

“Kesh thinks so too. Says that girl is sweet as anything but can only do small errands for people since she doesn’t seem to have clearance to do _anything_ on this tub.”

“Why would he keep her locked up?” Lexi wonders aloud.

“Because we do stupid shit for the people we love, and when they get sick, we act even stupider than before.” Drack tells her as he waves over another drink for himself.

****************

SAM is her only friend on the Nexus. Well, Sid too, but Sid has her job to worry about and can’t stay up all night to listen to her play the Pro-Con game with herself and the AI stuck with her. The game itself is easy. List all of the the reasons why the thing you are thinking will end badly and then list all the benefits. Whichever side has the most wins.

CON:

  1. Exiles. Which meant people who knew how to shoot guns.
  2. They knew how to shoot guns well
  3. She had no trade skills to fall back on if Reyes and her brother parted ways.
  4. She didn’t know how to fight.
  5. She couldn’t aim worth a damn so if she ever got into a fight she was royally screwed.
  6. SAM was an AI and everyone in the Port _DID NOT LIKE AI._
  7. What happened to her if she ran out of medicine?
  8. Would people try to blackmail her brother if she got kidnapped?
  9. What if she got kidnapped?
  10. Is it kidnapping when you’re over 21?



SAM sighed inside her head, “Focus, please. We are trying to make a list for you.”

“Sorry, my mind wanders sometimes.” she said as she paced.

PRO:

  1. Reyes was willing to get her off the Nexus and out from under her brothers thumb.
  2. He was willing to give her a job.
  3. Vetra was willing to tough out her brothers sharp tongue in order to help her.
  4. Reyes had sent her an email saying that if not Kadara Port then Aya, the home base of the Angaran resistance.
  5. Angarans liked humans, for the most part.
  6. Reyes said he could help her get a trade skill in the Port.
  7. She would be free for the first time in a long time.



Why in the world was she even thinking about this? She threw herself onto the bed and glared up at the ceiling. The shadows in the corner of her eye had started to slink toward her. She threw a pillow at them. It did little to shoo them away but it made her feel better, damnit. She held her head as a rapid tempo headache began. Her eye would start to twitch soon.

She closed her eyes and took deep, even breaths. A small ping on her padd had her groping for it. She opened her eyes to look at the notification that had come in. Email. A few from different people. Gil said he knew a nice spot to hide if she took up Reyes on his offer. Vetra said she could sneak her on easy as pie. Jaal asked her about the lunch she had promised to have with him and Vetra. The ship wasn’t leaving for another few days, but he said if she was busy they could try again when they were once more docked.

One from her brother telling her he loved her and that he was glad she was doing better than when she had woken up. And the last one was from Reyes himself.

To: Sleeping Beauty

From: Reyes “The Charlatan” Vidal

_Do unto others; they deserve it._

She didn’t know what to make of that but smiled anyway was she traced the scar on her face. Her left eye had almost been ripped from the socket during the impact. The scar itself was just all of her eye and little leading to her hairline. She licked her lips and hit the reply button.

*****************

Michael sat his father's old desk, reading and re-reading the emails he had sent between himself and The Benefactor. He had all the memories unlocked, all the audio logs and everything else. These emails though? These had been hidden deep within the old code of the terminal. It had taken him awhile to dig them all up. But SAM had helped him and now he just had to wait for them to be decrypted and then he would know the whole truth of what his father did to his sister before they left the Milky Way.

 

A memo to:

The Benefactor of the Oversight Sub-Committee

From:

The Director of Project Pathfinder (AKA: SAM)

 

Dear Benefactor,

I write today in response to your Committee's request for more information about our program and the suspected incident at the Outpost. No doubt by now you have reviewed the video logs we have transmitted. I am sure you have seen the barricades constructed by the survivors, the cryptic warning left on the wall, the battles that apparently took place between staff members that had turned on one another. And of course the ship. While we cannot say for certain, I share your concern that we have an unfortunate post-project scenario taking place. However, I take exception to your assertion that we were warned that this was a possibility.


	3. If fear and sadness are two sides of loss, then why am I laughing?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut in this chapter. More backstory.

To:

The Director of Project Pathfinder(AKA: SAM) 

From:

The Benefactor.

Dear Director,

I want to thank you in advance for your open response to our request for more information. We were disappointed that your recovery unit reported a total loss at the Outpost. We had hoped there would be at least one individual left that could shed some light on the situation. I know that your agency has enjoyed a high degree of freedom the past few years. It is not our intention to disrupt such a "progressive" program, but instead to find a way we can work together in a manner that befits all our responsibilities. I am certain that you will agree. And we look forward to making this review process as painless as possible.

*****************

Dr. Lexi T’Perro, almost had a heart attack as she went into the small kitchen aboard the ship for a glass of water. Gabi Ryder was a whole head smaller than her brother and twice as skinny. The doctor in her said she was underweight and needed to eat more, the psychologist in her said it was a side effect of her paliperidone palmitate medication. A loss of appetite was a known side effect in many users. The woman who almost screamed at the shadow in the dark, was the one who spoke, “Goddess! You almost gave me a heart attack! What’re you doing?” 

“I was getting something to drink. Didn’t mean to scare you.” she said with a sheepish smile. 

Lexi shook her head and took out her own glass and accepted the filtered water bottle from Gabi as it was handed to her. Gabi drank deeply from her own bottle. Lexi poured it into a glass and drank slowly. She watched Gabi from over the rim of her glass. Gabi had titled her head away from Lexi, as though she was listening to something else. She frowned and set her glass down softly on the counter, keeping her voice low, “Are you alright?” 

“Yeah,” Gabi says distantly, “Just...nightmares. SAM helps but I like to walk around until the paranoia leaves me. Or I get tired.” 

“I could give you something.” Lexi offers. 

“Doc,” she chuckles, “I have enough medication to kill a krogen. I don’t think I need anymore. But thanks anyway.”

Lexi frowns at this and then sits down, “Want to talk?” 

“About what?” 

“Anything.” 

“You pick the topic then. I’m socially inept.” Gabi says as she takes a seat. 

“I’m afraid I’m the same way.” Lexi chuckles softly. Michael's room is right next door and she doesn’t know if he sleeps deeply or not. Gabi rolls her bottle between her hands. 

“You can’t scare me off, doc. Shoot.” 

“Well, I would ask your brother but he might not tell me. Maybe you can.” 

“What?” 

“SAM, he is an AI. But the process for making a true AI has always been up for debate. Granted, many think that a VI and AI are the same thing but from what I’ve seen..this isn’t the case.”

“Are you asking me if I know how my father made SAM?” 

“Yes.” 

Gabi uses the back of her knuckles to itch along her jaw line, “The note he used to keep lying around his office were hard to read. He had bad handwriting. The notes didn’t make much sense to me, but...from what I got from them, he used a living template to test out the AI inside of a host. He had a lot of them. The notes said it was easier to use a living template than to try and program one. But I can’t say more than that.” 

“Because he asked you to?” 

“Because my father and I didn’t speak unless he was angry or disappointed in me. It was easier to avoid him and stay in my own world.” 

“I’m sorry. I only meet him a few times. He seemed like an easy going man.” 

“I guess he was. Just not to us.” 

At this Lexi frowns, “Us?” 

“I was a disappointment because I was born mentally sick. Michael was often told to do better than what he was doing. My father was easier on Mikey, but both of us were never the child my father wanted. My mother was easier to please.” 

“My mother was always pushing me to do my best.” Lexi chuckles, “And my father would always tell me he was proud of me. Your father never…?”

“No. I remember in middle school, Mikey was in track. Got all the way to nationals, and he won first place. My mother told him how proud she was of him. My father told him that he had to get better. The turian was only three seconds behind him.” 

“I see.” Lexi said and clasped her hands together, “Is that why Michael...well...is so hard on himself and others?” 

“I guess. Mikey never pushed me, never yelled at me to do better. Hell, he would tell people to get off me about things. I was always glad he stood up for me. Even if I didn’t need him to.” 

“It is nice to have siblings.” 

Gabi smiles, “Do you?” 

“Several sisters.” 

“I figured.” Gabi chuckles and stands, “Get some sleep doc. And ask Mikey about the AI or even SAM. I don’t know too much about what they did.”

******************

Gil was fixing parts of the ship and Gabi was handing him the tools. She was a ghost as far as he could tell. Hell, she was so quiet when she walked that she had almost given him a heart attack when he had walked into the engine room. The little hidey hole was under his desk and he hadn’t even  _ seen  _ her sitting next to it until she said something. The trip back to Kadara Port was about a week long and Michael didn’t even know she was here yet. Gil was hoping that Vetra could sneak her out with Reyes.

“So...Kallo doesn’t mind you changing the ship anymore?” 

Gil held out his hand for a tool and she handed him one, he took a quick glance at it and then asked for the smaller dial and was handed it before he answered, “He and I agree that what his crew did to get her up was amazing but staying the same is how you end up dead. Adapt or die.” 

“Adapt to be the biggest fish in the pond and then the ocean.” Gabi said softly, “My mother used to tell me that the biggest things made the most food when they died.” 

“That’s dark.” 

“It’s true. It’s the reason plants give us oxygen. They feed us the thing we need and when we did our bodies feed them.” she handed the next tool and Gil looked at her from under the fusion core block. The blue light cast her face into enthral lighting and she looked like some alien species that had fallen through the crack of time with her fading hair and the dark circles under her eyes. She looked terrifying in that moment. 

“You and Michael need a hobby. Something to make you smile.” he said as he went back to fixing the core. Speaking of the devil, his voice was coming toward them. Gabi shot off and down under the hatch into the hidey hole just as the doors opened and her brother stepped in. Gil rolled himself out and wiped off his hands. 

“Gil. How goes it?” 

Gil smirked, “Still taking the money from everyone on the ship with poker, boss. Yourself? How are you?” 

Michael leaned back on his desk and crossed his arms and his ankles, “Worried. Gabi hasn’t answered any of my vid calls and she’s taking a long time to answer my emails. I told Reyes this and said that “Maybe she made a friend.” Ha. Gabi like to be anti-social.” 

“Maybe she did. I know Vetra said her sister and yours had been spending time together. Keeping each other out of trouble. Besides that she’s as old as you, if she doesn’t want to talk what are you going to do?” 

Michael clicks his tongue, “Drop Reyes off and go check on her.” 

Gil blinks slowly at him, “You would make us flip a bitch in space just to go and check to see if your sister—who is an adult and can lead her own life away from you—is ignoring you?” 

“Last time she was left alone too long,” Michael says with a snap, “she almost ended her life. So, yeah, I’m a little worried about  _ my only sister.”  _

“I know this might come as a shock,” Gil said as he clasped his hands together, “but people can do whatever they want with their lives. Even end them.” 

“You sound like my mother.” Michael says with a hiss as he pushes himself away from the desk, “Always talking about the old ways of the fucking Navajo. Suicide was not only something they allowed but it was something  _ honorable.  _ What honor can be found in death?” 

“It takes a brave person to end it all for no other reason than the fact that they feel ready.”

“And the people they leave behind?” 

“Death is only the end if you think the story is about  _ you.”  _

“She’s my twin—”

“Not your shadow!” Gil snaps at him, “She can live her own life. Let her, man, jesus.” 

Michael glared at him, “Once we drop Reyes off and pick up the supplies for Vetra, we are going back to the Nexus and I am going to see if she’s alright. Heaven help all of you if she isn’t.” 

******************

_ “The subjects can not handle this stress, Alec.”  _

_ “What happened?”  _

_ “We lost control of the control group. The primary candidates are still in tact.”  _

_ “What happened? Tell me.”  _

_ “The AI...the AI hacked the terminals and found the data cores of several different skill trees. It switched the trees as the user needed them to be switched. We had to put down the subject.”  _

_ “The AI...was learning in real time?”  _

_ “Yes...but _ — _ ”  _

_ “Put them under more stress.”  _

She wakes up with a gasp and looks around. The little hidey hole is cast in the blue light of the fusion core above her. She closes her eyes and counts to ten. Slowing her heart. She can feel SAM hovering, worried. She rubs at her face to get the sweat off of her. She turns to her side and curls up.

The hidey hole is cramped but it makes her feel better. Too many hands reach in and they won’t have any room to yank her out. She hated being in that hospital as a kid. She didn’t which doctor was worse. The Asari and her calm tone as he asked invasive questions, the Salarian with his damn ink blot tests, or the Turian and her stupid group therapy sessions. She liked the korgan that worked there. He was nice, he never hit them or yelled at them. 

That dick used to. Someone crack their head open on the floor from falling down the stairs by accident and he just left them there to bleed. She was so glad when mom came to get her. Michael had been in the training camp for marines and they had never told him. She could feel SAM moving around inside of her head. 

“Gabi?”

“Yeah, SAM?” 

“Do you require help to achieve REM?” 

“No, SAM. I’ll be fine soon. Just a bad dream.” 

“It did not feel like a dream. It felt like a memory.” 

“I don’t wanna talk about it, SAM. Please just...drop it.” 

SAM never knew when to drop it, “You should tell your brother about what your father did to you when you were younger and he was away. You did not deserve to be placed in the psych ward. Your illness is not a danger to you or others around you.”

“It used to be.” she sighed. 

******************

Vetra caught her breath as Jaal nuzzled into her neck. Their legs were still locked together and she took her claws out of his back. He gave a low hiss and she licked the blood off of her talons. She planted a kiss on her temple and she gave a low chirr at the action. He helped her put her legs down from where she had thrown them over his own. She had to take a moment for her legs to be solid again since they had turned to jelly. He held her by her elbows and he used his thumb to rub at her sticky skin. She smiled at him. 

“Are you alright, darling?” he asked softly. He often sang as they fucked. Deep tones that mixed with her chirrs. It made an odd music. It often left his voice sore. 

“Yeah, I’m good.” she said and grabbed up her clothing. He grabbed his own clothing and they dressed. The armory was the  _ her spot,  _ and she could lock it. It made for doing this easier and it meant that they did have privacy on this small ship. She went to her computer and checked her email as he put on his little poncho. She must have made an irritated noise because she could feel his stare on her back. 

“Is something wrong?” 

She shook her head, “Ryder is a moron. It’s sweet but he is a moron.” 

“He is growing suspicious of our plan?” 

“No. But his brotherly protectiveness is rearing his head because she’s not answering as often she he think she should be.” Vetra scoffed and then sat down on the chair to put on her belt. She could still feel the electric charge in her skin. 

Jaal gave a low hum, “He is worried about her. I suppose I understand. I worry about all of my siblings if they do not speak to be as often as I would like. I’m sure you feel the same way with your sister when she does not answer you.” 

“Sid is like my kid, I worry because she’s a moron with no common sense.” 

Jaal laughed at this, “How do you think, Ryder, feels right now?” 

Vetra scowled at him, “Fair enough. But once we get those supplies from Kadara your people should be running circles around those bastards.” 

“What will these new weapons do?” 

“Some Asari configured a sniper rifle for better long range shooting and it can turn into a machine gun with the flip of switch.” Vetra said with a shrug, “All I know is that in testing only a red stain was left of the enemy.” 

“Impressive.” 

“Will your boss think so?” 

Jaal gave her a look and then chuckled, “Ah, you mean Effra. No, I doubt it. While he is not like Aksul, he has been very mistrusting of any who are not us.” 

“Understandable. If this had happened back in the Milky Way we would be worse I feel like.” 

“What was it like? The Milky Way?” 

Vetra smiled wide and began to tell him all of the universe she had seen in her time. 

******************

Lexi was reading over the documents that Michael had given her from his father in regards to SAM and the AI program. When the door opened she turned her head to look over her shoulder. Cora smiled at her and Suvi entered behind her. Cora handed her a cup of coffee and both of them sat down on the bed beside her desk. They had taken to playing poker with Gil on Thursdays, but Kallo had wanted “alone” time with him and they took the hint to wander off for the night. Suvi was drinking her tea, Cora her energy drink and she had her black coffee. 

“What’re you reading, Lexi?” Suvi asked softly. 

Lexi frowned down at her tablet, “Something that is a cause for concern.” 

“What?” Cora asked as she played with her straw. 

“Alec Ryder’s notes on the process of making SAM. But reading it...this is nothing but half truths and what I feel like are falsified accounts of the experiments that took place.” 

“It was illegal to even  _ think  _ about making an AI,” Suvi said as she held her cup on her knee, “maybe he had to make it sound like a theory and not like he was breaking the law.” 

“What makes you think they aren’t real accounts?” 

Lexi handed the tablet over to Cora and pointed to one of the names on it, “Doctor Hera T’freson, a brilliant woman who was a pioneer in biotics.” 

“So?” 

“She’s been dead for almost two hundred years. Long before we even left the Milky Way.” 

Suvi frowned and looked down at the tablet as well, “This man died when I was child.” 

Cora looked as well, “Names that could be found but people who had been dead for awhile. That is odd, but Suvi still has a point. Alec might have been hiding the true research and then set it up to be deleted upon his death. Might be why Michael doesn’t have the files.” 

Lexi and Suvi both looked at each other and shook their heads with a twin, “No.” 

“No?” 

“Alec would have had a whole  _ team  _ working with him,” Suvi said, “and they would have come with us to Andromeda. But if all of these names are those of who have passed on before we left...it does raise questions. One of them would have to have a copy.” 

“Which means the Nexus would know where they are. Cryo or one of the outpost we have set up. So I did some digging.” 

“And?” Cora asked. 

“No one who was listed on this project has been alive for quite some time.” Lexi said as she crossed her arms and sat down on the desk chair. 

Suvi ran her fingers on the rim of her cup, “That is odd. Why lie?” 

“I have no idea.” Cora said softly. 

“Why not ask Gabi?” Suvi said. 

Lexi shook her head, “Gabi said her father never much talked to her about anything. She said that was given SAM by her brother's insistence to Alec.” 

“So she doesn’t know anything?” Cora said with a scoff. 

“She knows that SAM helps her out,” Lexi said, “but she has no idea what or how SAM came to be. She said to ask Michael and he gave me these files.” 

“Why would Alec lie?” Cora wondered. 

“Something doesn’t seem right.” Suvi said and stood. 

“I agree.” Lexi sighed and took a sip of her coffee. It had become cold. 

******************

“Harder.” he gasped. Reyes smirked into his neck and did. Michael dragged his nails down his back and hissed out, “ _ YES.”  _

“Don’t leave me behind, huh?” Reyes chuckled and reached between them to grip Micahel at the root. Michael slapped his hand down on the sheets. 

“You..bastard…!” 

Reyes kissed him sweetly on the cheek, “You love it.” 

Michael grabbed his head and pulled him into a bruising kiss and tugged on his lower lip. Reyes flipped them and Michael gave a shout as he was pushed deeper on Reyes. He braced himself on his tan chest and took a gasp. Reyes smacked him on the ass, “Move.” 

“Fuck you!” Michael hissed and began to grin down. 

“I am fucking you.” Reyes chuckled and Michael smiled and slammed himself down with a moan, “And if you ke-ah!-keep that up I won’t be able to for another hour.” 

“Liar.” he gasped. 

“Of course.”

They both tumbled over the edge, behind each other and Reyes ran his hands over the smooth but sweaty back of his boyfriend. Michael smiled into his neck as Reyes tried to move him. 

“No.” 

“I’m soft.” 

“Then slip out on your own time. I like the way it feels.” 

Reyes kissed him on the temple, “Kinky.” 

He lifted his head and kissed Reyes, “You have no idea.”

“Maybe you’ll show me when this whole kett thing is over, huh?” 

“Oh, babydoll, “Michael chuckled and put his head back down, “you wouldn’t be able to handle me at my best or worst.” 

“Is that a challenge, Ryder?” 

“Make it one, Vidal.” he said. 

“I intend to.” Reyes said and flipped them again and Michael gave a noise of surprise, “Ready for round two?” 

“Are you old man?” he said and looped his arms over Reyes’ neck. 

*************

A response from:

The Director of Project Pathfinder (AKA: SAM)

Dear Benefactor,

While I am obligated to assist you , I ask that you not waste my time. My agency is normally unconcerned with such minute directives such as test subject reassignment, except, of course, in the most critical of matters.


	4. Being second best isn’t so bad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael finally stops being an asshole.

Dr. Suvi Anwar can pinpoint the moment that their tiny secret plan is ruined. The crash from outside near the kitchen area is loud enough that Michael lifts his head from the email he’s reading and  _ looks at the door.  _ Kallo and her exchange looks as he turns his body toward the door and she can feel his eyes narrowing even though she can’t see them. The ship runs smoother than glass and nothing except Peebee and her experiments make a noise that big. She thanks God that Reyes strolls in with a grin on his face. 

“You should tell Liam,” he says as he comes to stop in front of Michael, “that he shouldn’t test out silly movie logic. Air vents can’t hold people.” 

“Is that what that noise was?”

“Gil was fixing the vents,” Kallo said and Michael turns to stare at him, “Liam might have just crawled over a loose air duct and fell down.” 

“He hurt?”

“Hardly.” Reyes says with a smirk. This is not the thing makes Michael drop it. He strides to the door and Reyes follows him, complaining to him not to worry. As the door shuts Kallo bites his lip and she sends Lexi a message. The shouting from the med0bay comes less than five minutes later. Peebee pokes her head out and looks at them, still half asleep. 

“He find out?” she yawns.

“Seems so.” Suvi sighs. Kallo puts the ship on cruise mode and they all go out to hover at the top of the ladder to hear the argument. 

Lexi is the loudest voice after Michaels, “As the acting doctor aboard this ship—”

“My ship! Which my sister should not be on!” 

“—I have the power to declare your sister a sane person which would eradicate your medical proxy, Ryder!” 

“You’re not her doctor!” 

“Neither are you!” Lexi bellows at him and Suvi can hear the echo ringing in her ears, “But she is aboard this ship and I am the acting doctor and if I say that she is sane enough to travel then she is!” 

Michael gives a scream of anger, “She isn’t fine! She got hurt!” 

“A sprained wrist is hardly a life or death wound, Ryder. And as her medical proxy you can only dispute  _ medical  _ choices she makes!” 

Peebee looked at Suvi, “I feel like we should say something. She’s a nice gal and he’s being crazy about a little thing. What the hell could go wrong if she wants to travel?” 

“From a medical standpoint,” Kallo whispers, “a lot. But if Lexi says she is of sound enough mind then Michael has no reason to keep her locked up.” 

Suvi nodded, “A medical proxy can only work for medical reasons. But him being the Pathfinder has given his word more weight. I think it borderline paranoid of him, but if what he has told us is true, he did almost kill her once.” 

“Guilt can go a long way.” Peebee said. 

“KALLO!” 

Kallo jumped a mile in the air and ran back into the cockpit. Suvi and Peebee not far beyond him. Michael stormed in and pointed an angry finger at him. Kallo sheepishly looked at him and asked, “Yes, Ryder?” 

“Turn this ship around. Now.” 

“May...may I ask why?” 

Michael glared down his nose at him, “No. You may not.”

At this point Reyes came in with a sour look on his face, “My brave hero. Screaming at his sister and doctor like a child. Truly, the man who will save us all.” 

Michael whirled around and snapped at him, “Don’t. I know you had something to do with this. And it is taking everything in me not to  _ beat the shit out of you.”  _

“Your sister was miserable.” Reyes says with a calm look on his face, “She would have gone crazy being stuck on that station for the rest of her life.” 

“So sneak her away to the land of criminals?” 

Reyes flexed his jaw and then shook his head with a chuckle, “Is that what Kadara is to you, Michael? A land of criminals?” 

Michael grits his teeth hard and he points to the door, “Leave. My sister is going home.” 

“Earth is a long way from here. About six million years.” Reyes snapped and stormed out. The bridge was silent save for the heavy breathing coming from Michael. Peebee poked her head out and Suvi turned to shake her head at her. Peebee went back to her room. 

*************

Dinner that night was a tense affair and Gabriella sat next to her brother instead of Reyes. She kept her head down and Reyes was ignoring Michael. Vetra looked at Jaal and Jaal nodded his head once. He cleared his throat and said, “Ryder.” 

“Yes, Jaal?” Michael said as he took a bite. 

“May I offer a different place of visitation for your sister?” 

Michael stopped eating and looked at Jaal, “What?” 

“I will admit,” Jaal said softly, “that Kadara Port is place not kind to people. But perhaps a more structured and calm place will be a better substitute.” 

“Oh?” 

“Aya is a safe place and your people now have a small base of operations there as well. People from both places travel back and forth from the Nexus often.” Jaal said. 

Vetra spoke up, “Gabi could go back to the Nexus any time she wants and we make stops on Aya often.” 

“Is it warm?” Gabi asked. 

“Warmer than the Nexus.” Liam joked. 

“I think everywhere but Voeld is warmer.” Gil said. 

Peebee gave a snorting chuckle, “Eos is hell.” 

“Hotter than hell.” Cora muttered. 

Michael slapped his hand down, “No.” 

“But—” Gabi started. 

“I said, NO. That’s the end of it.” 

Drack slammed his drink down, stood up and grabbed Michael by the front of his shirt and dragged him across the table to hang in front him before giving him a shake, “What’s the matter with you, huh?” 

“Put me down.” 

“Your sister ain’t some stupid kid and you ain’t her father. So stop this.” 

“She’s sick!” 

“She’s not going to die just because you ain’t controlling every damn second of her life!” Drack roared at him. Michael snapped his mouth shut, “Jaal is right. Aya ain’t a bad place and she’d be fine.” 

“What if something happened to her?” he asked softly. 

Gabi spoke up, “Bad things happen to everyone.” 

Michael looked at her and then down at the fist holding him up, “Please put me down, Drack. I want to hug my sister and apologize to my boyfriend. I’ve been an asshole to them both.” 

Drack put him down and Michael leaned over the table to hug his sister who hugged him back. Reyes looked at him and moment and then scoffed, “I’m not going to forgive you.” 

“I don’t deserve it.” 

“Well,” he chuckled, “not right now. Maybe in a few days.” 

Jaal smiled, “So then, to Aya?” 

“Yeah,” Michael said and sat back down, “we can go to Aya after we get everything from Kadara Port. Jaal, can you...I don’t know do you have any friends that she can stay with?” 

“I will ask my older sister if she needs help at her shop.” Jaal said. 

Vetra smirked, “A job will keep you busy.” 

“I used to work at a flower shop.” Gabi said with a smile, “I was a part timer but I liked the work. Kept my mind busy.” 

“That’s good,” Lexi said, “A busy mind has no time to turn on itself.” 


	5. I wish that being in love was enough; I wish it meant anything at all.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec Ryder should have been proud of both of his children. He owed them both an apology.

Gil Brodie, along with Peebee, lean on the railing and watch as Jaal does pushups with Gabi on his back, lifting her legs each time his chest meets the floor. Vetra is working on her snipe rifle and Gabi hands her tools from the little box on her lap. Jaal is sweating up a storm, breathing hard. Gabi reaches down for the water bottle on the floor and leans over with the cap open to let Jaal drink. He gulps down several times and jerks his head away. Gabi puts the bottle back and hands Vetra another tool. Peebee snickered and Gil looked over at her. 

“And what’s got you in a giggle fit?” 

Peebee pointed down at them, “Them. Like, damn, that is so sappy.” 

“You and Suvi are worse.” Gil chuckles. 

“Really? You want to go there, Brodie? You and Kallo are the poster children for the freaking,  “how-the-hell-does-this-relationship-even-work”, monthly magazine!” 

Gil smirked at her, “Maybe I should call them and ask if we could be.” 

This sent the both of them into laughter. Cora came to lean with them, a holo-pad in her hand and a frown on her face. Gil crossed his arm and let his head rest on them, looking up at her. Peebee leaned over to read. Cora let her. Peebee frowned. Gil let them brood for a bit.

“We might have a problem.” Cora said. 

“When don’t we?” Gil asked. 

Peebee shook her head, “This is like, a major problem. Does Ryder know?” 

“That our medical supplies, and regular supplies to boot, are being stolen by the kett? If he doesn’t right now he will know in a few more minutes.” Cora sighed, “We might have to make a detour from dropping off Reyes and his sister.” 

“Reyes could be of some help,” Gil said, “he knows about smuggling and stealing. This would be right in his wheelhouse.” 

“Gabi doesn’t.” Peebee said and held onto the railing to lean back, bracing her feet on the walkway, “She’s not a fighter or a smuggler or a doctor. She’s just Gabi.” 

“And that is why this is not good.” Cora said and shut off the padd, tucking it into the back waistband of her pants, “The kett are looking for any advantage they can get over us, and Gabi is a wild card in the equation.” 

“Why? ‘Cause of SAM?” Gil asked. 

Cora nodded, “SAM is part of the reason why Ryder can control the Remnant so well.” 

“And Gabi isn’t a Pathfinder like all the others with a SAM inside of them. She’s normal. Well...normalish.” Peebee said and went back to leaning on her crossed arms instead of leaning back away from it, “If they get her, who knows what they’d do to her.” 

“Or what she could do if she can control Remnant like her brother.” Cora said. 

“Yeah...it took our beloved leader Ryder a little bit to figure out how to do his world building magic trick.” Gil said and stopped leaning on his crossed arms to stand, his arms crossed, “I don’t wanna say anything mean...but...Gabi has that “thing” wrong with her.” 

“Schizophrenia.” Cora said, “Which is why she needs SAM. I think he helps her keep a better handle on it than all those pills.” 

Gil and Peebee both look at each other and Cora shakes her head before turning around and letting her lower back rest on the railing. Drack had come over to them and had been listening to them for awhile. He gave a snort and answered, “She’ll be fine.” 

“How?” Peebee asked. 

“Ryder will ditch lover boy on her until we leave.” Drack answered her. 

Gil gave a snorting laugh and shook his head, “I don’t think Reyes will mind. Gabi and him play poker with me.” 

“You mean they kick your ass.” Cora said with a smirk. 

Gil pointed at her, “Hey! I let them win.” 

“Sure.” Drack said as he rolled his eyes. 

***********************

Reyes is reading a book as Michael is reading all of his father's old work notes on SAM. All of which he encrypted before his death. Before they even left for Andromeda. He had one hand covering his mouth and the other was scrolling through the text. The process was horrible. And yet he had done all of this. He had  _ hurt  _ people to make SAM. 

And not just humans. He had taken two from every species that had wanted to join them and used them. Each of them had been mentally sick. Some had been drug addicts. Others had been depressed to point of being suicidal. Why would he use these people? He almost jumped out of his skin as Reyes slid his hands down his chest and rested his slightly stubbly chin on the top of his head. 

Michael leaned back in his chair and tilted his head back to kiss the bottom of the chin that had been resting on him. Reyes then curled his face into his neck and planted a kiss there.

“What’s wrong? You look ready to be sick.” Reyes said into his neck. 

Michael sighed and rubbed at his eyes, “Reading my old man notes on how he made SAM. It ain’t nice what he did. And all the names of those he abused have been redacted from record. Just age and species.” 

Reyes looked at the screen, his eyes reading a few lines and he moved away to lean on the desk. He shook his head, “Why put them under so much stress?” 

“Why do I think or what he wrote down was the reason?” 

“Both.” 

“He wrote down that it was to have the AI able to handle three times as much stress as a human, to help them in the heat of battle and to make hard choices with the best possible outcome. I think it was because he knew he could get away with it.” 

Reyes leaned on the desk, looking down at Michael, “He would have had to talk to  _ someone  _ to get everything he needed to even do this. So the question—or questions—come down to, who footed the bill and who are they?” 

“Well I have the answer to one of them. The person who footed the bill was a person he only ever called “The Benefactor” and they only ever talked via email. Rarely a phone call.” 

“So who are they?” 

“Someone with a lot of money.” 

“No shit.” Reyes said and then moved to pace the room, “Why would they  _ want  _ an AI like SAM? Not only was it illegal but everyone who even hinted at being to make an AI was shut up quick. So how did they find the people needed to make this happen? How did they hide it? Why would your dad agree to it?” 

“Mom.” 

“You think your mother might be involved?” Reyes asked he turned to look at him from the other side of the room. Michael turned in his chair, shaking his head. 

“He did it for mom. She had cancer. She was dying. He thought that SAM would be able to tell her body to stop making cells and to fight the cancerous ones at the same time. She died long before SAM was even ready.” 

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Reyes said and sat down on the bed, “But the other questions still stand. Anything in his notes?” 

“No. Just the process. And some things about Gabi and me.” 

Reyes and Michael were silent for a short time and then Reyes asked softly, “What did he say? About you and your sister?” 

“He was proud of me.” Michael said, “He wrote that he was proud of me for joining N7, and everything else. He said he was so proud of me being like him at his age. I hated it. I hated being like him but I wanted his approval so much.” 

“Your sister is proud of you.” 

“Gabi has always been proud of me. Even when I was a complete douche to her.” 

“What did he say about her?” 

“He just said that when she woke up, he was going to apologize to her.” 

**********************

The ship was in cruise mode. The lights dim and the power levels in power save mode. The Cardinal moved to The Archons room, muttering to himself about the plan. The Archon would not listen to him, he was too far gone with his own dreams with this “remnant” tech and what it did. They had not come here to try and improve their own tech, they had come to conquer this galaxy and so far it had been slow progress. He knocked on the door and he heard The Archon call to come in. As he entered he saw that the room was pitch black, save for the screen that The Archon was sitting in front of. 

The Cardinal came to stand next to his seat, “Our glorious leader would like a status report. We are two years behind schedule and the reason why is being requested.” 

“We will soon be back on track.” 

“Are you...letting the remnant tech go?” The Cardinal asked with a flare of hope in his chest. The Archon turned to look at him and pointed to the screen. 

“No. We will finally be able to master it and our progress shall be shift. All we need is what is inside of this…”human.” We need his AI.” 

On the screen, Michael was caught, his face dust streaked and the sun behind him. The image frozen. Behind him was Cora and Drack still in their gear. But the kett didn’t know that. The Archon only wanted the AI. He needed the AI to make the AI work. 

“And how do plan on getting this?” 

“Find me a weakness I can exploit.” 

“And the status report?” 

The Archon smiled at him, all teeth, “Tell them we are soon to be gods.” 

**********************

Dear Director,

Due to your busy schedule, we have begun interviewing members of your staff. I'm certain you will let us know if this bothers you. Our debriefings keep coming back to a single subject at the Outpost. Can you explain to us what this “Alpha” is, and what your plans are to deal with it?


	6. I hate to see you leave but I kinda hate you when you’re here too.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't swell on nightmares that you think are coming. Dwell on the ones that are already here.

Pelessaria "Peebee" B’Sayle. She signed her name on the forms and sighed. She hated signing her whole name. It was so  _ pushy  _ sounding. She heard a knock on her door and called for them to come in. Gabi entered with a tired look and Zap hovers behind her, scanning. Gabi points to Zap over her shoulder. 

“Peebee,” she sighs, “you are a woman of true mechanical engineering. For this I applaud you but...this thing won’t stop following me and saying, “Scanning!” It says it a little too  _ chipper,  _ and it won’t stop following me around. That is mostly the problem, not the scanning.”

Peebee can’t help but let a snorting giggle out, “So...you don’t like Zap following you around like a puppy? She likes you! She doesn’t even like your brother.” 

“No one here can fault her for this. My brother is a hard man to like.” She agrees, “But you made her so can you please make her stop scanning me? I will tolerate the following if she stops saying she’s scanning me. It’s making me nervous.”  

“Hmm,” Peebee gets up and grabs Zap by one of her claws and hooks her up to the computer, “let’s see what she’s scanning you for.” 

“Hopefully nothing horrible.” Gabi says and comes to lean on the desk next to Peebee, “I don’t think I would even want to know.” 

Peebee looks through all the data and frowns, “What...the...hell?” 

“What?” 

“Zap has been scanning...SAM.” 

Gabi squints at the data and Peebee points at the screen, a single line of code, tapping it with her nail, “Peebee...all I see is one and zero, like, a million times.” 

“Pffft.” Peebee snorts, “Then let me explain.” 

“I was planning on it.” Gabi smirks. 

Peebee smirks back, “Smartass.”

“You love me for it.” 

“True. Anyway, Zap has been scanning SAM because, she thinks that he is like, a motherboard for the tech she used to maintain before I tweaked her.” 

Gabi raises an eyebrow, “The tech? Oh! The Remnant. Right?” 

“Yep.” Peebe nods, “Zap is trying to scan SAM to see if she can fix him but...she keep asking an ADMIN server for permission to touch an AI unit.” 

“ADMIN server? They have those?” 

“All systems have an ADMIN. Someone has to keep track of these things but since  _ whoever  _ built these things is long dead, no one is even going to answer Zap. Maybe I can…” 

Peebee starts to type and switch out code and then Zap says, “Roger!” with a chipper chirp. 

“So….? What did you do?” Gabi wonders. She tugs on her hair. 

“Told her she can’t pry your skull open, yank SAM out, “fix” him and then put him back in your recently opened skull. I like you too much.” 

“I feel the love, PB. Truly.” Gabi deadpanned. 

Peebee laughs and nods, “I try. But she won’t scan you anymore. I can’t promise she won’t follow you though.” 

“Fair enough.” Gabi smiles, “Thanks, Peebee.” 

“You are welcome, my special friend.” 

“Suvi is your special friend.” Gabi chuckles and turns to leave, “See ya, PB.” 

*******************

Reyes has never seen the home planet, or at least the planet that is HQ to the Angara resistance. It’s calm and the air is heavy with the smell of alien flowers. The people wave hello to Michael and Jaal. A few even come up to Jaal and speak excitedly to him. Gabi stands next to him, holding her bag strap on her shoulder. She looks at Jaal, smiling, sweet and kind. He has seen that smile before. When he has caught Michael looking at him. Vetra calls down from the ramp for Gabi to not forget something and Gabi lets her eyes linger on Jaal for a moment and then goes to get the thing Vetra had called her about. Jaal and Michael speak for a few moments and then smiles at Gabi when comes back, teary eyed and holding a horribly knitted...let’s say a blanket. Michael looks at her and touches her shoulder. 

“You good?” 

Gabi sniffs loudly and shows him the badly made blanket, “Vetra made this for me. Said it would keep me warm here ‘cause the days are n-n-nice but the nights are freezing.” 

Jaal nods his head, taking the blanket from her and draping it over her shoulder like a cloak, “She is correct. She asked me often about Aya and told her everything I knew. Do not worry.  Moshae Sjefa has agreed to let you stay with her. You shall be safe here, Gabi Ryder.” 

Gabi wipes her eyes and holds the blanket close to her, “Thanks, Jaal.” 

They all escort her into the city and the people do double takes. Twins are not a commonality in Angara. The Moshae is waiting for them. Jaal and Michael both bow to her and Gabi follows their lead. Reyes bows at his waist, legs out and one arm out. Michael kicks him on one foot and he smirks at him. Michael rolls his eyes. 

The Moshae comes down the small flight of stairs, arms open and a serene smile on her face, “ _ Paavoa.”  _

Gabi licks her lips and fumbles through what little Angara she knows, that Jaal has been able to teach her, “ _ Govataan.”  _

“That,” The Moshae chuckles, “means welcome center.” 

“Sorry.” Gabi looks down. 

“Do not be. Jaal says you are us, you are  _ tavetaan.  _ So I welcome you to this city.” 

“Thank you.” she says with a smile. 

She takes Gabi with her, after they are all given hugs and waved goodbye to, and that is when Efra comes out of the resistance HQ and scowls down at Jaal. He comes down the stairs, arms folded, “Jaal.  _ Pathfinder.”  _

“Efra.” Jaal greets dully.

“Bringing more  _ vesgara  _ to Aya, Jaal?” Efra shakes his head, making  _ tsk, tsk, tsk,  _ noises, “It doesn’t matter. So long as The Moshae is fine with it, then I must as well.” 

Jaal bares his teeth at him, “Do not speak of them like that.” 

“It is truth. They had a home and they left. For what?  **_Nothing._ ** ”

Michael scowls at him, “We left to expand our knowledge.” 

“Knowledge that shall be eons old when it reaches your families.” Efra says with a smirk, “You left home thinking this was better and you now find it is  _ not.  _ If you and your kind can not survive here, you can not go home.” 

Reyes rolls his eyes, “You underestimate us.” 

Jaal nods his head, “They will survive. And then they will no longer be  _ vesgara.  _ You should do well to remember, Efra. That were once like them. For a short time.” 

“Their time  _ is  _ short, Jaal.” Efra waves a hand at them, “I am not done with this. Go about your business.” 

He goes back into the building and they all leave to go back to the ship. Reyes sighs and then asks, “What does it mean?” 

Jaal doesn’t pretend to not understand what he means, “It is a term. For all of those who came with you. A slur.” 

“Figures.” Michael sniffs. 

“My people as a whole understand,” Jaal explains, “that you left in pursuit of knowledge. But...a single person does not have to accept what the whole think.” 

“Jaal,” Michael sighs, “believe it or not, most of history has been that. Doesn’t mean we have to like it. But...I’ve been here before. The people are just tired of this seeming never ending fight. Gabi...Gabi will be fine here.” 

*******************

Vetra picks at the thread of her pillow that night. Below her she hears Cora heave a heavy sigh. Vetra moves until she can look down at her. Cora looks up at her. 

“Can’t sleep?” Vetra whispers. 

Cora shakes her head and whispers back, “Worried. Too many Pathfinders are still...missing. Or lost. My mind can’t stop thinking about them.” 

Vetra slides down from the bed and lies down next to Cora, who turns to look at her in the dark, “We’ll find them. After all, we have SAM.” 

“That’s what worries me.” Cora confesses. 

“Why?” 

“SAM is the reason we can save so many worlds. Restart them and make them golden once more. SAM, does that. The people he is inside of make it happen but without him...nothing.” 

Vetra sighs and says, “Yeah. That’s true.” 

“So I worry.” Cora gives a low sniff and buries her face in her pillow, “If the Kett…” 

“Don’t.” Vetra says and sits up, “Don’t do that, Cora Harper. That is a nightmare we can not afford to dwell on.” 

Cora sits up as well, “So instead I should just be like Michael and the council and pretend that everything is going to be fine?!” 

They both pause as Suvi rolls over with a groan. Vetra gets up and jerks her head out of the sleep area. Cora follows her to the armory. When the door closes Vetra sits down at her chair and slides the second one over to her one clawed foot, “Sit.” 

Cora flips it and rest her arms on the backrest, “I meant what I said.” 

“I know.” Vetra says heavily, “And you’re right. But, Cora, we can’t think like that. We have to think that we can win.You know that.” 

“I know. I know that but my mind keep playing it out.  _ If  _ they get SAM what can they do?  _ If  _ we can’t find the other Pathfinders, what happened to all those people under them?  _ What happens if we lose and they go back to the Milky Way?”  _

Vetra and her sit in silence for long, long time. Cora hides her face in her arms. Vetra looks up at the ceiling, “I guess...we’d be there when all of our friends and family show up.” 

Cora gives a condemning laugh, “I hope they have a bar.” 

“If they do,” Vetra says with a sigh as she stands, “I’ll buy you the first round, Harper. Meet me at the juke box.” 

Cora looks up, eyes puffy and red, “If you’re buying the rounds, I pick the music.” 

“Deal.” 

*******************

Dear Benefactor,

Rest assured we have the situation under control. While the Alpha is proving to be an elusive enemy, our recovery units are already closing in on it. I expect this incident will reach a conclusion soon, and I will be able to return to my research, hopefully, without further interruption.


	7. Nobody grows tired of things they can’t have.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why would a ghost know it's dead?

“Liam Kosta,” Efra calls him from across the market place and he looks up from his drink as the resistance leader comes over to him, “we must speak.”

Liam looked at Drax who just rolled his eyes and Liam stood up as Efra came to stand before him. He crossed his arms and smirked at Efra, “What can I help you with?”

“Gabi Ryder.” Efra sniffed, “Jaal would not answer me when I asked him. So I will ask those who are not so...enraptured with her.” 

Liam wants to laugh. Jaal and Vetra had been a thing for a few months now. But then again, aliens. Hell he remembers being asked the funniest things as a kid by his alien peers. Turians are fast, Asari are powerful, Krogen are ruthless warriors, Salarians were smart, Quiarans are able to survive, but humans? Humans are from a death world since no other race can boast that their home planet has tried to kill them off every chance it has ever gotten. Fire? People rebuild and live through it. 

Ice storms? That’s nothing. Drought? Wait it out. Turians will not go into a fight until they have ever last detail planned out. Humans will just run in if they can get away with it. Asari command respect but people don’t like figures of power like that. 

They like to listen but no obey. Krogen and humans have an understanding. They understand the need to fight and survive no matter the odds. Salarians could talk circle around humans but some humans are smarter than them because they just  _ are  _ and oh that pisses them off so much. Turians like human ships and humans like how Turians can fix anything. Underdog to underdog. Liam knows enough about aliens to be content. 

But people like Gabi? Hell, no one except people like her can understand her. All the  _ understanding  _ in the world doesn’t mean they get it. Efra couldn’t get anything out of Jaal because Jaal was an alien among humans, who who was just...sick. Gabi was just sick. Liam was going to tell him that. Gabi was just a little sick and so long as people gave her space when she needed it but kept an eye on her when she got into moods, and she took her meds, she’d be fine. 

Efra wasn’t going to have to worry about her at all. Liam kept his smirk on his face but grit his teeth. Gabi was just  _ sick,  _ and she was trying to get not better, but ok. She was trying to get to be OK, “Sure. What’s up?” 

Efra seemed to sneer at himself and then sighed, “Is she...proficient in computer science?” 

“What?” Liam said with a a shake of his head. Drax laughed from the inside of his drink. 

Efra shot him a look and then said, “Gabi Ryder, is she proficient in computer science?” 

“I...don’t know?” Liam confessed, “Why would you ask that?” 

“One of the computers in HQ had malfunctioned and...she was able to not only fix it but also fix all of the internal bugs we had never been able to get rid of. That is why I am asking.” Efra huffed as he crossed his arms. 

Liam looked at Drax and Drax gave him a look that read he was just as clueless as he was, “I suppose? To be honest, Gabi was woken up  _ way  _ early from our flight across dark space. So I don’t know her file. You could ask Ryder.” 

“Her...twin.” 

“You say that like it’s weird, man.” Liam chuckled. 

Efra nodded his head, “It is. Another person who  _ is  _ you but also isn’t? A copy of you down to the very marrow in your bones? It doesn’t seem right.” 

Drax gave a snotty chuckle, “You guys don’t breed and have twins?” 

“No. Your soul is your own.” 

“Gabi has her own soul.” Liam sighed, “Her and Ryder just share DNA. Not the same soul. No one has the same soul.” 

“Or perhaps,” Efra sneers, “this  **_SAM_ ** is her soul or a substitute for one since she doesn’t seem to have her own.” 

Drax slammed his cup down and pointed a finger at Efra, “Watch your mouth.” 

Efra smirked, “I see it, you know. The sickness in her eyes. Hearing voices and seeing ghost. Maybe the demons she was taken from call her back to them. Maybe Ryder keeps her here by the will of his own soul and the SAM is mimicking it. After all,” he said as he turned away, “why would a ghost know that they are dead?” 

************

Dear Director,

We can all understand that a shift from autonomy to oversight can be a difficult adjustment for anyone, but especially someone of your standing. In that spirit, we have attempted to accommodate your brief explanations to our serious inquiries. Nonetheless, I feel compelled to inform you that even our trust has its limits.


	8. Things are easier when you stop dreaming.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twins tell each other everything. That's not always a good thing.

Cora Harper is ready to kill Efra. she doesn’t mean that because she doesn’t like the way he runs things. He runs things like how the Asari do. No, she wants to kill him because he is sending  _ everyone  _ on board emails about what Gabi Ryder can do. She can fix computers. No, she can’t. SAM can and is walking her through the steps to fix their machines. 

She can cook! Well, she can a little, but not the way he is telling them. Ryder laughs and says she had burnt more things than she could cook. She could fly a ship. Again, no. SAM was filling in the blanks for her, taking info from Ryder to help his sister because their SAM units could speak to each other in ways no one else's could. But now, as she read the email he has sent her, she is about to explode. 

Gabi knew what plants were dangerous and what ones were not. He was praising, mockingly, the cultural center. Jaal had told Ryder, and SAM had logged the info into his head and now Gabi knew it too. She was just trying to fit in, to do her part. She was doing wonderful, but the jumps in her resume would catch up to her soon. She sighed and took her paad with her to go and see Ryder. He was on deck, looking over his own email. 

She sent him the email she got and she watched as he heaved a sigh. She came to stand next to him as he read. When he was done, he shut off the paad and leaned on the railings. Suvi turned to look at him, a frown on her face. Cora shook her head and she turned back around. Cora waited for his breathing to even out before she spoke, her arms crossed. 

“You need to talk to SAM, Ryder.”

He lifted his head up, to look out at space, “I know that.” 

“SAM shouldn’t be able to share info like this.” 

He looks at her, hands still braced on the consol, “SAM is a computer, first and foremost. He doesn’t know that sharing info like this with his copy could be dangerous for us. But he isn’t doing it to hurt Gabi. He’s doing it to make sure she has the best chance at survival.” 

“By taking over her mind?” Cora snapped and Ryder looked at her with a frown and stood to his full height and turned away from her. Cora followed him as she snapped at him, “The A.I was suppose to help us and so far they are missing and stealing information from one mind to another. How are we going to get in front of this, Ryder?” 

“I know!” he boomed as he rounded on her, chest heaving, “I understand why you and everyone else is a nervous wreck. An A.I like SAM is a prelude to things that could much worse. Especially since it is inside of someone head at all times. I know. But I  _ don’t  _ know how my father made SAM. I know nothing about the A.I and you are going to have to accept that.” 

Cora scowled at him, “So we have to accept the fact that your sister is running around with classified information that could jeopardize us at any moment? We have to just  _ accept  _ that your father never placed a fail safe into SAM and even if he did, no one knows about? I don’t believe that, Ryder! Your father must have left something in regards to SAM!|” 

“He didn’t!” 

“Why didn’t he?!” 

Ryder pulled on his hair, “What do you want from me? I don’t have all the answers and my father did see fit to leave me a lot of them before he died! So I am so very  _ sorry  _ that the loss of the great Alec Ryder left us all confused and scared!” 

Cora scowled at him, “Don’t make this about my feelings toward being passed over!” 

“I’m not! You keep throwing it in my face!” 

“Sorry, Ryder,” she snapped and pushed at his shoulder, “some of us had been training all of our life for this job and we didn’t expect the old status quo of being passed over for daddys little fuck up to still apply!” 

Ryder got red in the face, “I don’t regret my choices.” 

“Maybe you should!” Cora hollered, “Gabi should have been left on Earth where she belongs! We are at war and she isn’t a soldier!” 

“She’s my sister!” 

“And her death will be on  _ you,  _ Ryder!” 

Ryder growled at her, “Don’t you think I know that?” 

Their argument had drawn Jaal out of his workspace. He moved between them and pushed them away from each other, “Enough! You quarrel like children!” 

“Jaal,” Cora snapped, “tell me your thoughts on SAM and the fact that he is sharing info with Gabi that he shouldn’t be.” 

Jaal sighed and rubbed at his head, “Gabi will think nothing of it, and her loyalty to us should not be questioned. She is trying. While I admit that the breach of information is worrisome, I feel that Gabi will not let any information she knows she should not have slip.”

Ryder gave Cora a look and stuck out his tongue, “Told you.” 

“However,” Jaal went on, “Cora is also right. An A.I like SAM has to have had some kind of background. Someone other than your father must have worked on him. I would suggest trying to find the old records, no matter how unclear, so that we as your crewmates and friends will feel safer knowing that we have some knowledge of this A.I.” 

“ _ Thank you.”  _ Cora said as flipped Ryder off. Ryder returned the bird in kind and then looked at Jaal with a frown. 

“You always struck me as the kind of guy who believe in my sister.” 

“I do.” Jaal said and moved away, “But I am wary of her companion.” 

*****************

Gabi is helping the man who runs the shop in the market. She is giving back the right change and smiling at people. That is the hardest part. Looking at people and smiling. Humans are the hardest, she can never tell what they are thinking. Everyone else looks at her the same. The Outsider. 

Their faces all say it the same way and for that she is grateful. She likes to know where she stands with people. As she hands the brightly colored fruit to a woman Efra steps up next and looks at her. His face says he doesn’t trust her, and it is always angry as well. But his face never wavers and the smile comes easy to her. He scowls in return. 

“How can I help you?” 

Efra puts down a single red fruit, “This.” 

“Alright!” she chirps and rings up the fruit. As she puts the change on the counter he keeps giving her this look like he wants to ask her something. 

“I wonder,” he says as picks up his change and his fruit, “if you are what the others say you are, Ryder.” 

“I’m nobody special.” 

“I doubt that. But I know better than to push an issue I will lose. Keep your head down, girl and you may survive long enough for your brother to come back and get you.” 

Gabi smiles wider at him as he leaves and calls out, “Thank you and come again!” 

***************

Dear Benefactor,

The Alpha is nothing more than an entity seeking to increase its power in these confusing days after the wars. From my perspective, that seems to be a very common occurrence at the moment.


	9. Open for adoption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have fallen out of love with this story. If anyone would like this, go ahead and message me and she's yours.

I have fallen out of love for this story and would like to give it up for adoption. If anyone is interested at all, please message me and she's all yours. first come first serve basis. 


End file.
